Ways and Reasons to Successful BlowoutsIn the Dominican Republic, conditioning treatments are applied like clockwork, every week at the salon, where women often spend hours being pampered and beautified while socialising with friends, family and neighbours who also share their steadfast commitment to keeping themselves beautiful. Hairdressers are regular and efficient with trims and their customers oblige; they can see that their hair is growing lengthy and lush as easily as they glimpse the flashes of silver as the stylist puts the shears to work. It's as essential an element to their results-based beauty regimen as the multiple applications of conditioner. Speaking of which, even when Dominican hair is done at home, the routine doesn't alter. Usually, there are not just two but four or five conditioning steps; sometimes including a pretreatment which takes the number up to five. BUT WHAT DOES IT DO???

Using several conditioners allows each to provide the hair with its unique benefits (e.g., one product, typically the deep conditioner will add strength, while the rinse-out conditioner adds detangling slip). And all conditioning layers either infuse or seal in moisture; the key factor in shiny, healthy hair. When it comes to taking hair from coils and spirals to straight, well-moisturised strands are also much more flexible and amenable to styling so it's easier to smooth them out. In addition, well-conditioned curls are usually markedly looser, so using several strong conditioners back to back actually takes out some of the straightening work. WHY ROLLER-SET THEN BLOWDRY?Using two levels of straightening is also key, as are the types of straightening methods used. Rather than blowdry wet hair at a high temperature, exposing it to direct heat which could literally boil the water inside the strands and crack the hair shaft, a Dominican stylist will usually dry the hair in rollers first, under a dryer. This has a trio of benefits: 1) Lower stress to the hair from limiting exposure to direct heat 2) Roller-set hair is smoother and bouncier, making it easier to finish the job with the blowdryer and allowing for extra straight and extra flowing end results. 3) Longer lasting straightness

A Dominican stylist will often forego a flat iron, so limiting again the exposure to damaging direct heat, though some will run it through the hair quickly to “seal in” the straightness so the look lasts longer.

WHY DON'T THEY LEAVE SOME CONDITIONER IN?

A surprising aspect of Dominican styling is that, despite the many layers of conditioning, leaving a lot of product in the hair is not encouraged. Dominican hairdressers are usually extra-judicious about rinsing every last drop of conditioner from your hair, to the amazement of many first-time clients since, in mainstream hairdressing, leaving some of the conditioner in has long been de rigeur. But after generations of honing their technique, Dominican stylists have realised that minimising the amount of product in the hair not only allows it to have more movement, it also means that the stylist has a better idea of when the hair is actually straight as she moves from section to section. Hair that is weighed down with excessive grease or heat protectants will often temporarily appear straight during the styling process only to revert soon after. Using less product means the stylist can tell easily when the hair is straight enough. And getting the hair properly straight at the outset means that the straightness will be more longlasting.